Hughes tops first night action at Featherlite USMTS Fall Jamboree

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. (Sept. 19, 2002) - Tonight was opening night of the 4th Annual Featherlite/USMTS Fall Jamboree and a terrific field of 97 modifieds were on hand to battle for the $2,000 first place money. 27 Pure Stocks were on hand for a $500 to win show along with 26 Street Stocks also running for $500 to win. This brought the opening night car count to 150 cars for racing. The program got underway at 6:30 with the heat races for the pure stocks followed by the street stocks and the modifieds. A beautiful night greeted the fans and drivers along with a perfectly smooth and fast track allowing four wide racing throughout many of the heat races.

The first feature of the night was the USMTS Pure Stocks. Adam Speicher jumped out to the early lead with Dan Hanselman working up through the pack. At the finish it was Speicher first with Hanselman coming up short by about a half car length. This feature race set the pace for the rest of the evenings features.

The street stock feature found Travis Krause starting up front and getting the jump on the field. Dan Gullickson, Jeff Brauer and Ron Hanestad started farther back in the field and started to work their way forward. Through the caution free middle section of the race Dan Gullickson worked on the low side and into the top five. A late restart found Steve Eischens and Dan Gullickson battling for the third position with Ron Hanestad and John Bushman running for the fifth spot. With two laps to go Brock Haines joined Hanestad and Bushman for the top five spot. At the finish it was Jim Gustafson with his twelfth feature win of the season.

The 30 lap Featherlite/USMTS feature started off a little rocky with a big pileup in corner two on the first lap. Mark Noble took the early lead with two and three wide battles for him the next two laps when the caution flew again. Jason Krohn, Mike Chasteen and Bob Timm were all involved in the wreck. After the first three laps seven of the twenty four starters dropped from competition. On the restart Steve Wetzstein went to the high side of the track to battle with Noble for the top spot. As these two battled for the top spot Jason Hughes worked his way to the front and battled to the lead with Wetzstein and Noble. Ron Schreiner worked into the top five and as Hughes and Wetzstein battled for the top spot Schreiner worked into fourth and started to chase down Noble for third. Wetzstein gained the advantage for the top spot, Schreiner worked inside Noble and Hughes and pulled alongside Wetzstein when they touched coming out of four with Schreiner spinning to the infield. Schreiner was sent to the rear for the incident. On the restart Kelly Shyrock, Hughes and Wetzstein battled three wide for the lead, Hughes moved into the lead and took the top spot at the checkers.

It was a great night of racing and tomorrow night the Featherlite/USMTS modifieds will be running for the $4,000 first place money. WISSOTA Super Stocks and Midwest Modifieds will be on hand for a full show.

RESULTS

PURE/HOBBY STOCKS

Heat 1- Matt Jones, Rex Welch, Bobby Crews, Adam Speicher, Josh Lowe

Heat 2 - Keith Eischens, Shane Curtin, Mitch Hovden, Bruce Michels, Jason Heidemann

Heat 3 - Dan Hanselman, Steve Guyer, Tyler Clark, David Stevens, Todd Farrell

Feature - Adam Speicher, Dan Hanselman, David Stevens, Bobby Crews, Steve Guyer, Shane Curtin, Matt Jones, Todd Farrell, Brad Erickson, Josh Lowe

WISSOTA STREET STOCKS

Heat 1 - Jeff Brauer, Jim Gustafson, Dan Gullickson, Steve Eischens, Vince Corbin

Heat 2 - Travis Krause, John Bushman, Tom McEldowney, Ron Hanestad, Greg Erickson

Heat 3 - Mark Hovland, Fred Prudoehl, Jason Weis, Rick Lisowski, Luke Stevens

Feature - Jim Gustafson, Travis Krause, Dan Gullickson, Steve Eischens, John Bushman, Brock Haines, Ron Hanestad, Jeff Brauer, Shaun Whelage, Mark Hovland

USMTS MODIFIEDS

Heat 1 - Tim Donlinger, Jason Krohn, Jimmy Davis, Mike Mashal, Don Kiger

Heat 2 - Karl Fenske, Chris Spieker, Bruce Angst, Kelly Shryock, Todd Steinhart

Heat 3 - Steve Kosiski, Steve Wetzstein, Bob Timm, Ron Schreiner, Joey Jensen

Heat 4 - Todd Ihde, Randy Zimmerman, Nate Wasmund, Jason Miller, Steve Holzkamper

Heat 5 - Todd Klees, Jason Hughes, Skeet Amason, Willy Kraft, Les Duellman

Heat 6 - Darin Duffy, Nathan Kilwine, Brian Mullen, David Siercks, Doug Hillson

Heat 7 - Justin Boney, Kevin Pittman, Brad Rain, Johnny Bone Jr., Dean Mahlstedt

Heat 8 - Tommy Myer, Mark Noble, Hank Berry, Mel Saffran, Robert Pruitt

B Feature 1 - Tommy Myer, Les Duellman

B Feature 2 - Jason Miller, Randy Zimmerman

B Feature 3 - Kelly Shryock, Bob Timm

B Feature 4 - Ron Schreiner, Skeet Amason

A Feature (30 laps) - Jason Hughes ($2,000), Steve Wetzstein, Mark Noble, Darin Duffy, Bruce Hanford, Steve Kosiski, Kelly Shryock, Tommy Myer, Todd Klees, Ron Schreiner